When it comes to professional sport, Lyon is a football city. One does not have to walk too far around any part of the city before meeting someone wearing the famous white with red and blue trim jersey of their beloved Olympique Lyonnais. 

Usually referred to as simply Lyon or OL, the club plays in France’s highest football division, Ligue 1. In recent years it has regularly competed in the UEFA Champions League, with a best ever showing coming during the 2009–10 season when Lyon reached the semi-finals of the competition. Originally created under the name of Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, OL was not nationally established as a club until 1950. Lyon’s most successful period began at the turn of the millennium; it won its first ever league championship in 2002, and immediately went on a record-breaking haul of seven successive titles. Additionally, the club can boast 8 Trophées des Champions, 5 Coupes de France and three Ligue 2 titles.

Olympique Lyonnais Ladies

Launched as recently as 2004, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin has gone on to become recognised as the best ladies football team in Europe, if not the world. The club has won its league a record 15 times together with 9 Coupes de France and, most impressively, the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The Stadium

Olympique Lyonnais plays its home matches at the 59,186 capacity Parc Olympique Lyonnais (known, for commercial reasons, as Groupama Stadium), in Décines-Charpieu, a suburb on the outskirts of Lyon. A modern stadium, it was constructed from 2012-2016 at a cost of approximately €600 million and replaced Stade de Gerland (now home to LOU, Lyon’s professional rugby team) as Lyon’s home ground.

During the European Football Championship of 2016, the stadium hosted four group matches, the second round match between France and the Republic of Ireland, and the semi-final between Portugal and Wales.

The stadium was also the venue for the championship rugby final of 2016, the 2018 Europa League final, and the Women’s World Cup semi-finals and final 2019. 

Stadium tour

Tours in English are available throughout the month of July. Visitors can discover the heart of the team’s stadium and learn about the club’s proud history, architecture. One tour per day from Tuesday to Sunday at 2.00pm is available. If that timeslot does not suit, English speakers can join the other tours with the help of an audio-guide in English.

Schedule 

The times and dates of OL’s fixtures can be viewed on the club’s official website; https://www.ol.fr/en/first-team/fixtures-and-results#Season_SeasonDisplayName=2019-20

Tickets

Given the large capacity of the Groupama Stadium, it is often the case that matches do not sell out completely so visitors to Lyon can usually enjoy a home game. That said, OL has a healthy and long-standing rivalry with neigbouring Ligue 1 club Saint-Étienne, their clash is known as the Derby Rhône-Alpes with. Since the period of huge success in the early 2000s, rivalries with the likes of Marseille, Bordeaux, and Paris Saint-Germain have also been established. These matches therefore tend to have the best atmosphere of the league fixtures, alas they also can prove the most difficult to obtain tickets for!

Tickets can be bought online from Olympique Lyonnais’ own website; https://billetterie.ol.fr/

Transport

It is important to note that if availing of public transport to get to the stadium, tickets should be bought in advance from the official official site.

  • Tramway

Tramway from Part-Dieu Villette Sud

Tramway stop is located on Boulevard de la Villette, which is on the south side of Gare de la Part-Dieu. Journey time to the Groupama Stadium is less than 20 minutes. 

Tramway from Vaulx en Velin La Soie

Vaux-en Velin La Soie station can be reached via line A of the metro or the Tramway T3. The tramway from the station to the promenade in front of the Groupama Stadium takes less than 15 minutes. 

Tramway from Meyzieu Panettes

The tramway from the station to the promenade in front of the Groupama Stadium takes less than 15 minutes. 

  • Park & Ride

Parking Relais Meyzieu les Panettes

Parking is available at Meyzieu les Panettes, from where fans can travel to the stadium via: 

Bus Groupama Stadium from Meyzieu Panettes

Shuttle bus transfer to the Groupama Stadium in 15 minutes. 

Parking Relais Eurexpo

Car Parking is available at the Eurexpo Centre (which can also be reached by the T5 Tramway) then reach the stadium via :

Bus Groupama Stadium from Eurexpo

Shuttle bus transfer to the Groupama Stadium in 15 minutes. 

Stadium Address

10 Avenue Simone Veil, 69150 Décines-Charpieu